Nine new entries on the singles chart, the most in a while. And almost all from the same genre, too. The singles chart used to have more range than this…

1 Tones & I – “Dance Monkey”

Seven weeks and counting. It’s going to be there till Christmas, isn’t it? And it heads up a static top four, followed by…

5. J Hus – “Must Be”

This is his first full-scale single since being released from prison in the spring. He’s had a top ten hit before (“Did You See”, which reached number 9 in 2017), but this is his biggest. It’s a good comeback – surprisingly chilled for the lyrics. “Memories” by Maroon 5 climbs 8-6, and “Lose Control” by Meduza, Becky Hill & Goodboys climbs 14-11.

13. Fredo – “Netflix & Chill”

He’s been higher as a guest, but this beats his previous high as a lead artist – number 15 for “All I Ever Wanted” back in February. And that had Dave on it. Without a big name guest attached, his previous best was number 25. But no such caveats here.

14. Dave – “Paper Cuts”

Bit surprising to have this coming out below Fredo, but he does have two singles out at the moment – “Professor X” climbs 22-21 this week. It doesn’t have a video, and there are so many new entries this week that I’ll skip over embedding the audio-only ones.

18. KSI, Rick Ross, Lil Baby & S-X – “Down Like That”

This doesn’t have an actual video either, even though KSI is a YouTube star. The fact that KSI and Logan Paul can actually make serious money selling a novice-level boxing match on pay-per-view is one of those moments when the scale of YouTube celebrity makes itself known to the wider world. KSI may not have many credentials as a boxer, but he has charted before as a rapper, with “Lamborghini” making number 30 in 2015. This is the first release on a mainstream record deal, and as it turns out, it’s not that bad.

“Nice to Meet Ya” by Niall Horan climbs 26-22, passing “Lights Up” by Harry Styles on its way down…

24. Arizona Zervas – “Roxanne”

This is a self-released track by a singer from Maryland, working in the very 2019 heavily-processed-vocals style. If you can live with that, it’s a straightforward but decently catchy song. He’s been active for a few years and as you might expect, he’s been signed on the back of this.

28. Young T & Bugsey featuring Headie One – “Don’t Rush”

The follow-up to their top ten hit “Strike a Pose”. I can easily see this getting up there too. “The Last Time” by the Script climbs 38-32, as the parent album “Sunsets & Full Moons” enters at number 1. This is not exactly unexpected: The Script have released six albums going back to 2008, and five of them went to number 1. The other one went to number 2. (Strangely, the record that held it off wasn’t one of those Ed Sheeran-style juggernauts; it was “Coexist” by the xx.) “Opp Thot” by Poundz climbs 37-33, and in a pretty busy week for new entries, too.

34. Darkoo & One Acen – “Gangsta”

And more rap. One Acen has charted before, as a guest on Hardy Caprio’s “Best Life” (number 26 last year, but it spent 11 weeks on the top 40). Darkoo is from London, born in Nigeria, and this is her first hit. It’s a much better single than the rather generic title might suggest.

36. Endor – “Pump It Up”

Endor is a DJ from Brighton, and this is his first hit. Though that does depend on a very generous artist credit, since this is basically a remix of “Pump It Up” by Danzel, which reached number 11 in 2004. Danzel was an international one-hit wonder, but he did have other hits in his native Belgium: “You Are All Of That” (sic), “Put Your Hands Up In The Air” and “My Arms Keep Missing You.”

40. Tom Walker – “Better Half of Me”

His previous two singles reached 7 and 3, so this has a way to go if it’s going to match those. It’s the bonus track from the special edition of his album “What a Time to be Alive”. That album duly re-enters the album chart at 9.

On the album chart, we’ve already had the Script at number one.

2. Michael Ball & Alfie Boe – “Back Together”

Follow-up to the number 1 albums from 2016 and 2017, “Together” and “Together Again.” It’s the sort of album that has a cover of “The Greatest Show” and a Queen medley. Knows its audience.

3. Snow Patrol – “Reworked”

Snow Patrol celebrate a quarter century on the go by releasing the obligatory album of cover versions of their own songs. Considering that all these tracks were previously made available as two separate EPs, number 3 is actually quite good. Since they started actually having hit albums in 2004, Snow Patrol have charted with seven albums, all of which made the top 3 – only 2006’s “Eyes Open” reached number 1.

Number 4, interestingly, is “Ghosteen” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, which entered at number 16 on the strength of its streaming release in October and dropped straight out of the top 100 the following week. It’s charting again now on the strength of the physical release. You have to wonder if wouldn’t have done better just releasing both versions at once.

6. Simply Red – “Blue Eyed Soul”

Their twelfth studio album. For some reason, the vinyl version has a different running order from the others – apparently the one Mick Hucknall would have preferred.

11. George Michael & Wham – “Last Christmas – OST”

This film isn’t exactly a jukebox musical, but a movie length adaptation of the plot of “Last Christmas”, soundtracked by a load of Wham songs. It does feature one unreleased George Michael song, the one above. It’s unexpectedly decent. The new song, that is – the reviews for the film itself have been largely, shall we say, unenthusiastic.

21. FKA Twigs – “Magdalene”

It’s been five years since the first FKA Twigs album, which reached number 16. So not much of a drop off. No idea why it’s taken this long to produce a follow-up, though. Then again, if you’re thinking on commercial lines, you don’t pick the track above to make a video for. It’s very good, but it’s hardly a natural single.

22. Andrea Bocelli – “Sí Forever”

Andrea Bocelli’s bid for the christmas market, featuring this rather random duet with Ellie Goulding.

27. Luke Combs – “What You See Is What You Get”

This is his second album, the first to chart in this country, but he’s a big country star in the USA – six consecutive number ones on the country chart, including one called “Beer Never Broke My Heart.”

And finally for this week…

28. Michael Bublé – “Christmas”

Hello again, old friend. Back for a ninth straight year, I see. Like clockwork. The track above isn’t actually on the Christmas album, by the way – it has a different version of “White Christmas” featuring Shania Twain. But hey, it’s the video he’s just released.